It is well known and accepted by the dental community the fact that the dental floss is a useful tool when incorporated in the oral hygiene habits of a population and significantly increases the dental health status of its individuals.
The dental floss contributes to oral hygiene and thus to oral health by removing interdental bacterial plaque from the teeth. The toothbrush can get mechanically to those areas and reach the dental plaque and remove it. Unremoved interdental plaque will cause gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and after this will progress into periodontal breakdown known as periodontitis (destruction of the alveolar bone and supporting structures of the teeth). The major cause of tooth loss of a population above 30 years of age is undoubtedly periodontitis.
Only a small segment of the population that practices daily oral hygiene with regular toothpaste and toothbrush practices dental flossing. A great percentage of these individuals who have already developed the habit of oral hygiene through their lifetimes and moreover the children who are developing one could be enormously beneficiated by the regular practice of interdental flossing. This existing gap is mainly attributed to the relatively newcomming of the dental floss and to other important factors such as: publicity, marketing, psychological, economical and ergonomical factors among others.
The marketing and publicity of the toothpaste and toothbrush have well established channels. The toothpaste has the highest sales volume due to the fact that it less durable than the toothbrush and must be replaced sooner. The marketing and publicity of the dental floss has been very poor trying to convince people that something else besides toothpaste and toothbrush significantly adds to the health, freshness and cleanliness of their mouths and dentitions.
The marketing of both products together is part of the answer to the problem.